Recent content by ConcreteThumb

  1. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    One of the biddies (more than likely a leghorn) laid her first egg yesterday. About 15 minutes later, another egg was found in the nesting box. I think i can identify which one because rather than keeping just out of reach, one of them let us pet her and seemed to enjoy being picked up and...
  2. ConcreteThumb

    FEATHER PLUCK vs SKINNING?

    I slaughtered my first bird the other day. I did the scaling water thing and plucked the feathers. That took forever it seemed. Thing is, especially on the wings, there is this muck in the feather pores that i have to pop out like a zit. To make it go a bit faster, i scrape the skin with the...
  3. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    So all this rain caused a bunch of my ripening tomatoes to split. Normally id process them into a sauce or soup, but instead, i threw one that was on the ground and full of bugs to the biddies. They looked like dinosaurs tearing up prey. They torn into that oversized berry like a scene from...
  4. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    Visited the Washington County Fair this weekend and took a look at the chickens on display. I have a silver laced wayandotte with feathers on her legs and feet that totally would have won first place. Im thinking about entering her next year.
  5. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    The biddies are getting so big. A couple of them are starting to cluck. Their combs have a lot of growing to do still. They absolutely love to be let out of their run and have at a portion of the back yard that doesn't get mowed. Since they are getting so big, i am going to give 4 of them to...
  6. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    So my one 15 year old cat, he's retired, was hanging out with the chickens yesterday. I couldnt find him for a while, then i see him walking out of the coop, well rested. Yep, he went into the coop and took a nap.
  7. ConcreteThumb

    Coop bedding and care

    I have 12 biddies that share a 10x4 coop and an 8.5x6.5x4.5 run. The run is dirt covered with an inch of pea gravels. I pretty much just level the gravel every few days and the rain washes away the poops for the most part. For the coop, i do the deep litter method using pine flakes. Every few...
  8. ConcreteThumb

    how to price eggs to sell and what if someone gets sick from my eggs?

    In my county, the health department requires that the coop and egg facilities be inspected in order to sell to the public, even farmers markets.
  9. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    Last night, i was feeding the biddies some bugs that like to hang out on the front porch by the lights. I like to pet them and inspect them for any abnormalities, when i felt a large lump on the right side of Snicker's chest. It felt like a hacky sack (that dates me). I became alarmed. I...
  10. ConcreteThumb

    Water nipples LEAK

    Be sure that its the nipples dripping and not the connection to the nipples. I used some plastic wrap like plumber's tape around the threads for a water tight seal. You can also put a small bead of clear silicon calking around them. Put a very small amount of cooking oil on your fingers and...
  11. ConcreteThumb

    New flock master.

    I let my biddies mill around a larger portion of my backyard on the weekends that is sectioned off by some vinyl garden fencing that is about 12" high. Sometimes they jump over, but my fat Holstein looking cat, Popcorn, herds them back in when i instruct him. He really thinks its his job. He...
  12. ConcreteThumb

    Light in coop

    I think my girls are not fond of Opera, either that or they do like it and join in. I keep the light on for security and so they can see a predator if it gets in. Being in the city, the worst things we get are rabbits, which the cats pretty much keep at bay.
  13. ConcreteThumb

    How to kill fleas without killing the Chickens

    Spray your socks with mint oil before you get there. This will keep them from jumping on you and hitching a ride.
  14. ConcreteThumb

    Light in coop

    I have a short string of xmas lights in the rafters and a 13 watt CFL in their protected area. I also have a clock radio i got from Goodwill that plays classical music for them. They seem to be happy.
  15. ConcreteThumb

    Comment by 'concretethumb' in album 'Marans, Muscovy Ducks, and random fun photos of my chickens'

    Brilliant!
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